WASHINGTON - After extensive consultations with state and local election administrators, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration's Elections Subcommittee and Subcommittee member Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., introduced the Responsible Online Voter Empowerment Registration Act (H.R. 4449). The legislation, designed to increase online voter registration services, will also preserve necessary safeguards to protect against the widespread, fraudulent registration tactics witnessed in past elections.

After introducing the legislation, McCarthy and Harper issued the following statement:

"After hearing from election officials across the country, we are confident that this legislation will provide states with the necessary incentives to implement online programs. This bill will not only increase access to the registration process, but it will also preserve state election administrators' ability to protect against fraud, reduce administrative costs and increase accuracy.

"We thank the state election officials who have provided their valuable feedback on this bill, and we look forward to receiving additional input from our colleagues on the Subcommittee who we know share our goal of increasing the ease and accessibility of voter registration services."

The legislation - which provides incentives for states to implement online registration programs - will increase the accuracy of registration records, reduce the administrative costs associated with data entry, and protect against the processing of fraudulent registrations by requiring voter eligibility and identity verification.

For more information, please contact the Committee press office at (202) 225-8281.